Frequently Asked Questions
You are an educator with a strong commitment to educational justice and advocacy, and are seeking to earn your Residency Principal or Program Administrator certification. Applicants seeking the Residency Principal certification have a goal of becoming a school principal or assistant/vice principal, while those seeking the Program Administrator certification hope to serve in district-level leadership positions.
No, this is not a Master’s in Teaching program. Students who complete this program will earn their Residency Principal or Program Administrator certificate from the state of Washington. If you are interested in becoming a certified teacher, you can find information here: Elementary Education Teaching Certification
Applicants seeking to earn the Residency Principal certification must hold a valid Washington state teaching certificate and have at least 3 years of documented, successful school-based experience in a role with students. Those seeking the Program Administrator certification do not need to have teaching experience.
Yes, applicants may pursue the certification on its own, or combine it with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. Applicants seeking the certification on its own must have previously earned a master’s degree, as a master’s degree is required in order to be recommended for certification at the end of the program.
Typically, applicants who apply to this program have already found a reliable mentor in their current workplace, willing to mentor them for the duration of this program. The prospective mentor must hold the certification that the applicant is seeking (Residency Principal or Program Administrator) and have at least 3 years of experience working in their role related to this certification. The application will ask applicants to describe how their current position will support internship activities required by this concentration, and be able to provide the contact information for a school district supervisor/mentor who can confirm the opportunity for completing an internship in their current position.
Students working towards the Residency Principal certification must complete 540 hours. Those working towards the Program Administrator certification must complete 360 hours.
You can find admissions and application details on the admissions page.
Applicants seeking to earn the Residency Principal certification must hold a valid Washington state teaching certificate and have at least 3 years of documented, successful school-based experience in a role with students.
The GRE is not required for admission.
Students will complete this program in 18 months (6 quarters). Degree Requirements are on the Degree Completion Requirements page.
The LEDE concentration accepts applicants once per year, to begin Winter Quarter. Courses are scheduled to accommodate most working students, with meetings online in the evenings and one Saturday in-person session per quarter.
The second year (happen in LEDE 530, 540, 550) during the final 3 quarters of program.
The total cost for the program is approximately $28,030 for the Master of Education degree combined with the certification, or $24,414 for the certification alone (based on 2023-2024 Graduate Resident Tuition Rates).
Tuition information, scholarship databases, and links to financial aid resources can be found Funding Resources for Graduate Students page.
Priority application deadline: July 30
Final application deadline: October 15
Complete application information can be found on the admissions page.